A stop in the beautiful Lucerne is a must

Lucerne Travel Blog

To this day I have not count on how many times I have been to Luzern; I try to visit every time I have been in Switzerland or driving towards Italy.

Lucerne is a very beautiful city, whatever you visit it in the summer or the winter. It is the capital of the Canton of Lucerne and seat of the district with the same name. The city is situated at the breathtaking lake Luzern and has a population of 57,890 habitants; Lucerne is the most populous city in central Switzerland and focal point of the region. The city's and surrounding suburbs consists of 17 municipalities in three cantons with an overall population of nearly 200,000 people.

The city centre is a great place to spend at least day if you are on a calm drive towards Italy or the southern parts of Switzerland.

Due to its location on the shore of Lake Luzern or as the local says it Vierwaldstättersee and within sight of the beautiful Mount Pilatus and Rigi, Lucerne is traditionally considered first and foremost as a tourist destination.

One of the city's famous landmarks is Kapellbrücke, a very old wooden bridge from the 14th century connecting the two sides of the city. The bridge is the oldest road bridge in Europe, angled around the octagonal mid-river Wasserturn. The Wasserturn have formerly been a lighthouse, a prison, a treasury and is today serving as a meeting house. It is also today the symbol of Luzern.

In the early hours of August 18, 1993, a small boat moored alongside the bridge caught fire and, in one of the most dramatic spectacles in the city’s recent history. The flames rapidly spread to engulf the whole structure. By dawn, virtually the entire bridge had been destroyed, with only the bridgeheads on both banks surviving. The authorities rapidly set about reconstruction, and an identical replacement was completed nine months later – though today it’s still easy to see where the old wood meets the new.

It is The River Reuss which splits the town, flowing rapidly out of the north-western end of the lake. River banks on both sides are clustered with beautiful medieval squares, frescoed houses, ancient guildhalls, churches and chapels, and filled with a liveliness that belies the city’s age. I can strongly recommend taking one of the river boats from the conference area and doing a two-tree hour boating trip on the lake itself.

Luzern has a rich café culture and it is treasured by the city’s large population of young people, and at midnight on a weekend night, the main Pilatusstrasse Boulevard has the feel of any European capital, with people bar-hopping, waiting for the last bus, or hanging out deciding where to go. This place is a really nice city and spending the afternoon in one of the sports bars or in a chic wine bar is totally up to one self. I have done both and most of it is up to the mood you are in.

Like me, I guess that you will be charmed by the city´s sense of history and tradition, and the wonderful view to lake and the snow-capped Pilatus rising above.

The city tourist office is 50m west of the station at Frankenstrasse 1 - and the phone number is +41 410 71 71. The office is open the following time;